Date Published: 03/02/2023
ARCHIVED - January 2023: the third driest this century in the Region of Murcia
The Region of Murcia has recorded some of the highest temperatures in Spain this year

January may have been a little chilly compared to previous months in the Region of Murcia but rainfall was certainly at an absolute minimum. Meteorologists have classed the first month of the year as “very dry” which may be a bit of an understatement considering it’s the seventh driest January since 1961 and the third driest in the 21st century.
In fact, the Region has taken the popular term of ‘Dry January’ to whole new heights since, despite storms Fien and Gerard battering most of the country in the middle of the month, Murcia only experienced very scattered rain.
Around the 21st, the storm, with a new centre named Hannelore, moved into the Mediterranean and, together with the anticyclone to the west and northwest of Spain, prompted the entry of cold polar winds from the north, with temperatures below normal and some episodes of precipitation and even snow in areas.
However, in the Region of Murcia, the month ended cold but dry.
The average temperature during January was 9.3ºC while the minimum night-time value was just 3.4ºC.
Murcia frequently broke the record last month for being the warmest place in Spain, with the mercury climbing well above the normal values for the month.
In fact, daytime temperatures for the first fortnight of 2023 were the highest seen in 39 years, surpassing the scorcher of 2016. However, as of the 22nd, the maximum and minimum temperatures were well below below the expected values.
The main standout though is the lack of rainfall.
During this month of January, the average rainfall in the Region of Murcia was 2.3 litres per square meter (l/m²), which is only 14% of the median value.
Only three significant episodes of rainfall were recorded so far this year: on the 17th and 18th, with occasional showers accompanied by a little hail; on the 24th and 25th, and the 29th and 30th.
Image: Archive
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